


Overtime

by Talentflame17



Category: Furry (Fandom)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Anxiety, Black Jaguar, Fluff, Furry, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Heartache, M/M, NSFW, african wild dog, anxiety attack, mention of abusive relationship, mention of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:55:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28844943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talentflame17/pseuds/Talentflame17
Summary: Elliot is a quiet but hardworking, goody two shoes who stays in his lane and focuses on work. Xavier is... a nice distraction from his busy job. He’s tall, strong, handsome, hell, all the women in the office swoon over him. But then Xavier stats to spend more time with Elliot and his nice distraction suddenly becomes a much bigger issue.This is a story about healing, finding self worth, and learning to put trust in other people.TW: Alcohol use, mention of abusive relationship, anxiety and anxiety attacks, homophobia, “mutt”phobia (will elaborate more later on in the story as part of world building)
Relationships: Elliot x Xavier
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Today is going to be a normal day, I tell myself as I comb my fur in the mirror. It was just another day in hell and nothing would be different.

Little did I know, Today was NOT going to be a normal day.

For starters, My alarm clock doesn’t get me up. Instead, the sunlight that peeks through my blinds does. Wait, work started at 8, it shouldn't be this bright out-!  
Daylight savings time was yesterday… that's why my alarm didn't go off.... I wake up an hour early, after having gotten only four hours of sleep, thanks to the CEOs constant work projects. He hands them out to the men and women below him, and the guy assigned to my area just looooves throwing the ones handed to him onto me so he doesn't have to do them, but because he's my higher up, I have to do what he says. It's a wonder I find any time to do my own work.  
Oh Well, I’m not going back to bed anytime soon, that’s for sure.  
I roll over and gently place a kiss on the body pillow laying by my side. It’s a bad habit of mine. I know others at work would think of me poorly if they knew I owned one, let alone slept with it, but when a guy is lonely and miserable, he does what he wants to, okay? Hell, if they knew the other things I did with it… well, I definitely wouldn't have a job.  
Look, I know I'm a monster, I get it, okay? People have to do what they have to do, and it's not hurting anyone.. Well, anyone but me.  
I only got the pillow recently, thanks to a co-worker. He's just- and i'm so- uGh. 

I ruffle my hair in frustration, only to realise how tangled up it had gotten in the night. Must've rolled around quite a bit, though that wasnt much of a surprise there. After getting that pillow, my dreams at night have just been- 

E-Enough about that! With a firm head shake, I quickly stroll into the bathroom and shut the door. Today was going to be a normal day. It was going to be a NORMAL day. Nothing will be different. 

Before I leave my tiny apartment, I grab my phone, backpack and my tie, then head down to the sidewalk and begin my walk to the local stall. It’s on the way to the transit and the guy there is so nice! He wakes up every morning, bright and early and cooks food. I always stop and get breakfast and lunch on my way into work, and then get dinner on my way back. It’s a daily routine of mine and I love to catch up with the ferret.  
“Jamie!” I call out as I jog up to the stand. I quickly swing my bag around and pull out my Bento box.  
“The usual?” He asks “or are ya gonna change it up on me today?”  
“The usual. You know I can never get tired of your chicken and rice! And the sauce you drizzle over it? I have to get that recipe from you!!”  
“But then you wouldn’t buy it here.” Jamie giggles, “I gotta make cash too.” He sighs but then seems to get an idea.” Tell ya what, I'll go home tonight after you buy your fish dinner and I’ll think on it, okay?”  
“Sounds good” I smile as I hand him my box and my payment. He quickly takes both and then gets straight to work, humming a small tune like always as he does so. His tail happily sways like usual and it puts a smile on my face.  
He closes up my box and hands it back to me, then passes me a drink to go with it. He holds up his paw though, and begins to sift through his cooler “that’s my last strawberry…”  
“What?!” It slips out of my mouth before I can control my shock.  
“Yea… my last strawberry. That never happens, I always make sure I have enough to make it through until the next shipment, just for you.”  
“W-Well do you have any coconut? P-Pineapple??” I ask rather nervously. Yea, the other Ramune aren’t as tasty to me, but I still enjoy them. Almost all of them taste great to me, but Strawberry is my all time favorite. It Takes me back to when I was a kid, back to simpler times…  
“Yeah, but they sell like hotcakes, you know that. One of Japan’s most famous drinks. Here, I’ll set aside something for ya.” Jamie smiles at me. He looks hurt though, as though He’s messed up.  
“Thanks Jamie. You're always super kind to me.” I smile back, just as heartbroken. I feel bad in a way, I know he goes out of his way to make sure I have plenty of strawberry Ramune. I go through three of them a day almost, unless I’m changing things up. I do that from time to time to give my tastebuds a break from the same old, same old. At least something in my life can have variety. 

After I pack my lunch back into my bag, I walk the short distance to the stop and wait for the transit to come. I quick glance and I notice Everyone around me is on their cell phones… must be nice, having friends- 

I speak too soon. The moment the thought crosses my mind, a notification comes through on my phone.  
“Heyyyyy you still into Amielia?”  
Oh god, here we go.  
“Saw her on the elevator. She's in a really cute dress! Thought I'd be a wingman for you!”

YOU WHAT?!?  
“Why?!” I send that bastard back “you know i'm not ready for that!!”  
“Well, if I hadn’t stepped in, you would’ve done nothing about it!”  
Exactly. I wouldn't have because I don't like amelia. Never have. sure, she's sweet and kind, but i'm not into women. I KNOW i'm not, but how on earth am I supposed to tell Anthony that without losing him as a friend?! I know how he feels about gays, it's not hard to miss when he's blatantly obvious about it, but he's the only friend I have… the only one I will ever have. 

“What did you tell her?” I type out after I climb onto the transit and find a spot to sit.  
“Just told her that a certain someone had been talking about her. No names, nothing she could identify you with.”  
Thank god. If he had given anything away, I would’ve shoved that coffee of his so far up his ass-  
“I did hint loud enough for the rest of the elevator to hear that someone in the office seemed to have a crush on her.”  
That's it. I hope he coughs up creamer for the rest of his life.  
“Why?! Why on earth would you say something like that?!”  
“Just trying to help out my favorite adult virgin ;)”  
“god I hate you sometimes, Ant. don't say anything else to her or so help me” 

I close my phone just as the transit stops at the wait area located by my work. From there, it’s about a two minute walk to the front doors.  
With a sigh, I pick up my belongings and step down onto the street. It was chilly out; winter was coming sooner than I hoped. 

“Good morning, Elliot~!” Morgan chimes from her desk, her silver tail swaying ever so slightly. Her work phone rings, so she quickly diverts her attention from me to the noisy machine. Thank god… I'm never great at talking with her. Actually, i'm not good at talking to anyone. 

The elevator slides down and opens it's metal doors, but I let the others around me clamber in first. Just… trying to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible. Once the elevator is full, the doors shut and it travels back upstairs.

“You know, too much generosity can make you late to work” a familiar deep voice rings in my ears. It causes every bone in my body to tense up and my skin immediately begins to tingle like it always did in his presence. I don’t even have to look up at him to know exactly who it was; Xavier (Insert last name here), one of the strongest co-workers I know, and one of the sexiest…  
We both got hired on almost at the same time, but he's quickly gained a good reputation, not only for himself, but for the company too. He’s smart, quick on his feet, so good looking… it’s no wonder every single woman in the office swoons over him, and I don’t blame them. He’s tall, slightly built, kind, helpful… the list could go on for days. 

“I-I won't be late…” I simply mutter as I adjust the bag on my shoulders. That seems to get a chuckle out of Xavior, which only makes me tingle more. My beans wrap around the tie in my paws a little tighter.  
“Out of uniform too? Now now, that won't fly, Elliot”

HUUUUH?!?! He knows my name!?!  
I physically jolt in alarm, my eyes shoot up to lock onto his, and I stiffen up drastically. He seems to find humor in the whole situation, because he soon breaks out into a small fit of laughter “what? Just because you’re quiet doesn’t mean you go unnoticed. You are my co-worker, after all. It would be rude of me if I didn’t know your name”  
With a slight gulp, I nod in agreement. Of course he would know my name, it was stupid for me to assume he would be too arrogant and stuck up in his position to care about someone like me.  
In a way though, it made me feel… special. All warm and fuzzy and… hot inside.

The elevator comes back down and opens its doors, but we’re the only two waiting on it. It’s only a couple minutes or so until our shift begins, so everyone else is already clocked in.  
Xavier Steps inside the elevator and holds the door open for me so I can walk in myself. My legs, hell my entire body is so stiff I can barely walk…  
“Floor?” He asks rather playfully before hitting the button to the floor we both work on. He glances over at me and smiles sincerely, nudging my arm with his elbow.  
I can’t help myself but smile back at him. Until...  
No… no no no, stop moving!! 

Xavier chuckles and smirks when he sees that my tail is wagging. He pauses for a moment to watch, it seems, before slowly taking my paws into his. I swear my heart begins to pound against my rib cage as though it were trying to break free!! My eyes quickly evade him and find their gaze down at the floor… yea… nice plain floor. 

But… his paws soon move away from mine. I look back up at him and realize He had taken the tie.  
He begins to put it on for me, waitwaitwait, He’s so close, I can practically feel his breath on my fur-

“You can open your eyes now” Xavier speaks as he steps away from me. I didn’t even realize it, but I slammed my eyes shut sometime after he stepped close.  
My eyes slowly flutter open but I don’t dare look up at him. I know He’s watching me, waiting for me to make eye contact so he can flash that stupid sexy grin of his and make some smart ass, witty remark. 

“Th-Thanks…” is all I can muster out before the elevator hits our floor and the doors open. I kid you not, I’m out of there before Xavier has time to blink.


	2. Chapter 2

not even two seconds after I clock in for work, everything goes to hell. 

First thing I’m greeted with is “always 1 minute early. 7:59 on the dot, every day”  
Craig is leaning against the water cooler next to the clock in Machine, a cup in his hand.  
If lazy, selfish prick had a fursonification, it was Craig. I swear, that brown bear never did a single page of work. It’s always one bullshit excuse after another. ‘I have dinner plans tonight with my wife and kids, I can’t stay overnight and do this’ is the biggest one he uses.  
Of course, it doesn’t help that I'm the world's biggest sucker when it comes to that stuff either. He always sounds so sincere and heartbroken, practically pleading with you to just take his work on, this oneeee time. But then as soon as you say yes, his entire demeanor changes and he refuses to talk with you until the ‘work is done.’ 

Yet again, here he stands, begging me to take up his current work because he has some school board meeting he just HAAAAS to attend with his wife.  
“Alright, fine…” I sigh “tell me what it is I have to do-“ 

That’s the biggest mistake of my life. 

Now here I am, sitting at my desk at 9 O’clock PM, still working on this damn business report of his. Had I known it was going to take this long, I would’ve flat out rejected him, or at least offered to help tag team it with him. This is absolute hell to do all by myself!! If I mess up one time- 

“You’re still here?”  
The sound coming from behind me makes me jump so high in alarm, I end up landing feet first in my chair.  
That signature, hearty laugh is what made me realize who it was.  
“Xavier? What are you still doing here?”  
“Well, I just finished up my report for the CEO and-“ his eyes glance over to what I’m working on.  
“he didn’t.” He practically growls out in anger. His tail even flicks… not a good sign for a cat breed. 

With a sigh I reluctantly confirm his worries “Yea, he did. He always does-“  
Before I have two seconds to even process what's happening, Xavier is standing directly next to me, crouched down a bit, a paw on the computer mouse. He seems to examine my work before simply turning around and walking away. 

Well, sort of. He walks over to Craig’s desk and fishes around in his drawers for a moment before his tail flicks again and he snarls in anger. He doesn't say anything though, he simply shuts the drawer he had been sifting through and opens another one, beginning his search again. 

I hate to admit it, but that deep, low snarl of pure anger almost turns me on… I have to re-teach myself how to breathe for a moment there.

In a matter of moments, he's walking back over, a file holder in one paw and Craig’s chair in the other, being pulled along for the ride. “I’m helping you finish this up” 

“You… you what?” I almost can’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.  
“I’m helping you finish this up” he repeats, taking a seat in Craig’s chair. “Clock back in” he speaks almost nonchalantly.  
“What?” How on earth does he know?!  
“Clock back in. Right now. I’ll talk to the Chief about your hours in person if I need to. You’re getting paid for this.” He’s surprisingly calm, yet assertive.  
I try to resist, but Xavier just keeps cutting off my rebuttals before I can even start them.  
“Go clock back in, now” his voice is still soft, but stern. It’s almost difficult not to cower and bend to his every will when he speaks to me like that. In any other case, I’d happily let him boss me around and tell me exactly what to do but...  
“But I don’t want to get Craig in trouble-“  
“He’ll be fine. Go clock back in”  
“But the chief will get mad at Cra-“ 

“He dug his own hole!” Xavier slams his fist on the desk and stands up in anger. He turns away from me and starts to take deep breaths. Guess he finally got sick and tired of listening to my excuses.

It's honestly terrifying and I feel guilty for making him snap like that. My body is trembling and my tail is tucked between my legs, and I'm letting out small whimpers in fear and my ears are pinned back but… it is my fault and I need to take ownership.

Once he’s calmed down a tad, he turns back around and his eyes lock onto mine. It was like a switch flipped inside his brain, one moment, you could practically see the steam rolling out of his rounded ears, but the next he was fearful, rushing over to me to make sure I was okay.  
“I-I’m Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you-!” His paws are cupping my cheeks and his face is inches away from my face, His yellow eyes are staring into mine, worried and afraid-

“yEp! M’FinE!”  
You fool. You blabbering idiot. You buffoon.  
I pull away from Xavier with a squeak, but try to look certain and confident. After a noise like that, there was no way I was redeeming myself. I would forever be known as the voice cracking employee, the-

What is he doing? Why is he getting closer, why is he looking at me like that?!  
“Elliot, are you sure?” Again, he steps forward and tries to cup my cheeks, but there's no way I can possibly live through another heart pounding experience like that.  
“Mhm!! Fine!! G-Gonna go clock back in!!”  
With my tail still tucked between my legs, I turn to go do just that but Xavier grasps my arm rather tightly “here, sit down, I’ll go do it”  
“Huh?” I turn back around to look at him in confusion. What is he thinking?!  
“You’re shaking. I’ll go do it, you sit down and take a moment okay?” He looks at me with honest concern, but there’s a hint of something else in his eyes...  
“It’s really okay, I-I’m really okay-!” 

Never before have I seen that look on his face, but good GOD-  
Without a moment's hesitation I’m sitting down, staring at the computer desk in complete shock. What. Was. That. Look. 

His eyes were soft, yet also held a serious look, almost like he was demanding me without saying a word.  
My stomach flips in that moment. It’s the only way I know how to describe the feeling. It did a somersault within me. My heart begins to pound so hard in my chest that I can’t think, it was like it jumped up into my head and was beating against my skull. All I can do is act and obey.  
I can’t breathe either. It was like his eyes placed a vice grip on my lungs and refused to let go until I HAVE to draw in a breath. 

“What’re your numbers?” Xavier calls out from the clock-in box, causing me to look back over at him rather nervously.  
“O-Oh uh… 2763”  
“Weird…” he mumbles out as he types in my code “mine is 2764”  
“What?” The number throws me off guard. The way we get our numbers is based on when we were hired. If mine is 63 and his is 64, that means he was hired after I was. “Wait, I thought you were here before I was hired?”  
“Nope, you were here on my first day.” Xavier begins with a small smile on his face “I remember… I bumped into you in the hallway and spilled your paperwork all over the floor. I felt so guilty…” Xaviers smile had slowly turned into a frown as he spoke “I ended up being late because I stayed back and helped you clean up. My first day too. was chastised and almost fired, you know. But the boss overheard a conversation between you and another co-worker. It saved my ass” 

I quickly stand up and speak as though my words are going to change what had already happened. I remember that day, rather vividly now that he mentions it. It’s probably how he knows my name. It was the only other time besides today that we’ve ever talked.  
“You didn’t have to stay back and help! I was already clocked in!! You didn’t have to risk your job like that!! A-And definitely not for someone like me-!” 

The room goes deafeningly quiet the moment that last sentence slips out. Xavier tenses up and he looks as though He’s been shot.  
“Elliot. what did you mean by that” 

I instantly panic.  
My mind begins to scramble and I can’t come up with anything to cover my ass. I know Xavier DEFINITELY won’t like that I think poorly about myself, just by the way He’s looking at me. If I tell him how I really feel about myself, who knows what he’ll do or say…. 

“Elliot-“ he speaks as he starts to walk over to me. I quickly try to take a step back but I bump into the desk behind me and realize I have nowhere to go. I have to come up with something, and quick- 

Why is his tail flicking, why is he staring at me like that, HOW IS HE GETTING OVER HERE SO QUICKLY?!?  
“I-I’m a clutz-!” I blurt out, which causes him to stop in front of me. “A-As a clutz, I’m bound to drop things and trip! So… so it’s pointless to help out a clutz like me, because you’ll be helping me out a lot!” Yea, that did the trick! “A-And I’ll feel guilty about it…” I trail off rather nervously. 

“Why would you feel guilty about it?” Xavier asks as he takes another step forward. I’m practically pushed up against the desk at this point, I can’t move and it only seems like He’s getting closer, WHY IS HE GETTINGCLOSER-!!

All I can do is gulp and stare up at him, a bright blush beginning to spread on my cheeks. My heart feels like it’s in my throat and I can barely breathe, YET AGAIN.  
“Why would you feel guilty about it, Elliot~?” 

Oh shit- 

My knees literally buckle and I almost fall to the floor, but UNLUCKILY, Xavier catches me in his arms.  
I’ve fallen into his chest, and my heart is beating so freakin fast, what if he can feel it?? I can feel his fur and it’s softer than I could’ve ever imagined, He’s holding me close and He’s not moving, oh god, what if I have an erection, I don’t know if I do but what if he can see it, is he grossed out, is he in shock, what do I do, what do I say, how do I get away and keep my dignity intact?!?! WHY DID HE HAVE TO PUR LIKE THAT AND WHY DO I ENJOY IT SO MUCH!?!

“Elliot, are you okay?” Xaviers voice is soft and full of concern. He gently lifts my chin up with his paw and I’m staring into his eyes and I can’t look away and I don’t know what to say or do, I’m terrified and my legs are still shaking and-

“I didn’t mean to scare you this much…” Xavier frowns and his eyes fill with regret. Nonono, I’m not scared of you!! N-Not like that!! How do I tell him!?! I can’t get any words out, I just keep staring up at him, shaking. 

“Let’s just… get back to work, okay? We can get out of here sooner.” He sighs before he stands up from his slightly crouched position and helps me to my feet. He then walks me back over to my computer chair. I didn’t realize how much taller he was compared to me until now… 

He takes a seat in Craig’s chair and pulls it up to mine, then flips open the book he had set down on the desk earlier. He begins to thumb through it, then picks up the scrap sheets of paper I had used to create Craig’s numbers. He looks at them carefully for a moment, compares them to what Craig has documented, and then throws them onto the desk dramatically. He quickly turns to face me.  
“Elliot, you’re a freakin genius! How in the world did you find these numbers?!” His paws are on my shoulders now and he looks shocked, full of wonder and surprise. It… it makes me feel good about myself for a moment.  
“O-Oh I just… memorized as much as I could from last report period and ran some basic math to find the rest of-“  
“Wait-“ Xavier cut me off. “Last period? Elliot, how much of Craig’s work have you been doing-?”  
“O-OH NOT THAT MUCH!!” I blurt out in an attempt to cover Craig’s ass. “JUST LAST REPORT AND THIS ONE, THAT'S ALL!” God, I’m lying through my teeth and Xavier can probably tell, but He’s not saying anything and I’m not sure how to act anymore “It’s not that hard, really, just a little Time consuming-“  
Xavier huffs but doesn’t give me a chance to finish before He’s sliding the book closer my way “you won’t ever need this again, unless you get promoted, but it’s in Craig’s top left drawer. You’ll thumb to this log here and it shows all his numbers, which are rather impressive, since he sits on his phone all day….” His sarcasm is heavy… I know he knows… 

But he doesn’t say anything to me about it. He continues to show me how to do the report, ‘the right way’ so he claims, and then we work on it together, mostly in silence. He asks a few questions here and there but that’s all that’s said until we finish it and I send it over to Craig’s Email.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably add that I won’t have a set posting schedule for this, but for now, I’m going to simply post what I have done. I should also add I have a bad habit of posting a lot and then disappearing like I never existed for months on end before I suddenly come back and post a shit ton of stuff, wash rinse repeat the process.
> 
> Also, I understand some things might be a little confusing at the moment, like why Xavier clocked Elliot back in himself, but I promise you, everything has a purpose and will resurface at a later point. It’s all important.


	3. Chapter 3

“Welp” Xavier stands up and pops his back before pulling out his phone and checking the time.“11 O’clock already?!” 

“Wha?!” I yank out mine and fact check him, only to realize He’s right. “Aw man, there’s no way I’m catching the transit..” my heart sinks in my chest. I hate sleeping at that Internet cafe, but with late nights like this, it’s practically my only opinion. There’s no telling who will be there and I end up sleeping in my suit. It looks horrible on my part too, I’m Wearing the same suit twice in a row and I look unkempt. Plus, the others don’t know I’m working late hours so they probably think I’m just a slob who can’t bother to show up to work professionally. 

Xavier seems to study my face for a moment before he shakes his head “we’ll figure it out down in the lobby, okay? For now, let’s shut  
everything down and get out of here as soon as possible” 

I nod and power down my computer, then pack up my stuff and slide my backpack on. Xavier picks up the folder he carries into work everyday, then turns and heads toward the clock in box. He types in his number, clocks out, then does the same for me.  
“I hope you don’t remember that number” I comment “wouldn’t want you clocking me out to get back at me”  
Xavier laughs softly and beams that happy, adorable smile “and how do I know you won’t do the same to me? You had the idea, after all”  
He was right. I know I’ll remember that number, but not because I hate him. I still can’t believe he was hired on AFTER I was and he was promoted so quickly! Damn near perfect….  
“N-No, it's not like that” I softly mumble “I couldn’t live with something like that on my conscience. A-And besides, I have no motivation to do something like that.”  
“Ah” Xavier says as we both walk up to the elevator. He hits the button and speaks again. “So you're a goody two shoes then, is that it?”  
With a defeated sigh, I confirm his thoughts. “Yea… yea, I am”  
“Nothing wrong with that. Keeps you out of trouble and unnecessary headache.” 

The Elevator opens and he steps inside, but holds the door open so I can follow. As I step inside, he hits the ground floor button and…  
Well, things go quiet.  
So awkwardly quiet that I begin to pick at a nail. It’s a bad habit of mine when I get nervous.  
“Hey, stop that” Xavier swats at my paws. “You could mess them up and it costs money to fix them.”  
I begrudgingly agree and stuff my paws into my pockets. Things go quiet again until the elevator hits the bottom floor. 

“Fuck-!” I jolt from the cold and instantly wrap my arms around my body. The entire lobby is surrounded by glass because it makes the place look fancier, but at night, when it’s approaching winter (and during the winter months, might I add) it practically makes the place a walk-in cooler. 

My eyes glance up to Xavier, who hasn’t said anything yet. He simply glances back down at me and then lets out a slight chuckle. “Here, take this” he begins to take off his coat, but I stop him “n-no it’s okay! It’s my fault! I didn’t realize it would get this cold so quickly-“  
But regardless of what I say, he continues to take it off. Soon, it’s draped over my shoulders and He’s zipping it up- damn, I’m even smaller compared to him than I thought I was up in the office!!  
He seems to realize it too. He bursts into laughter and practically wheezes out. “you’re so tiny!”  
“Oi, shut it!!” I huff and cross my arms but it only causes him to laugh harder. Once he composes himself, he looks back down at me and starts to walk towards the doors. I obviously follow him.  
“You must have thin fur to be this cold though. “Makes me wonder…”  
“Wonder what?” I glance up at him as we talk. 

Xavier pauses in his words (but not his stride) before he just sort of spits out his questions. “What breeds are you anyway? Like- was your mother the tinier breed or your dad? Was he like- a German Shepard? Maybe an Australian Shepard? Nah, something brown or gold- but the thin fur-”  
“Huh?” I ask in confusion whilst also accidentally cutting him off. Does he think I’m a… a dog? More specifically, a mixed breed!?! I stop in my tracks and he stops too, but mostly in confusion to my actions. “Wait- do you-“ I scoff rather angrily “you think I’m a half breed?!”  
“I mean- what else would you be?” Xavier says it so nonchalantly as though he could care less... 

To me It’s like he drove a wooden stake through my heart and thrashed it around, letting it splinter apart and tear me to pieces. Of course he’d assume I’m a half breed. Some… mutt that he can boss around because He’s some pure blooded lucky bastard. I’m not even mad and upset that he thinks I’m a half, I’m mad because- well, of course he would look at them With a stuck up nose!! The poor anthros don’t get to choose what blood runs through their veins, yet society outcasts them and looks down at them like they’re scum, regardless if they came off the street or in a loving home. 

He seems to pick up on my sudden reaction to his words and he realizes He’s just insulted me.  
“W-W-Wait, If you aren't, then I sincerely apologize! I’ve just- I’ve never seen a full bred dog that looks like- well, that looks like you.”  
“It’s fine, I guess” I nervously rub my arm “we’re a… well, an endangered species… and besides, I wouldn’t really expect you or anyone else to know about my breed anyway.” I sigh before I mumble under my breath “or give two shits about Halfs...” 

His eyes widen and I watch his head cock to the side. “You’re not mad that I called you a cross-breed…” he studies my face for a moment before continuing “but then, why are you mad..?” 

I don’t give him an answer. I don’t want to talk about it, so I’m not going to. Instead, I begin to walk towards the door again. Something must not sit well with Xavier, because he shoots towards the door and then stands in front of it.  
“Xavier-“ I huff but he cuts me off.  
“I’m not gonna let you out of here until you explain why you’re mad.”  
“Are you serious?”  
“Yes, I’m serious.” Xavier still stands guard in front of the doors. He seems to wait for me to say something, but when I don’t, he starts to speak again. “Sorry... but I’m still not letting you out until you tell me why you’re mad. It’s not good to bottle up things.”  
“Not bottling it up. Just choosing not to speak about it” I glance down at my feet. I can’t stand to look at him.  
“Elliot… please?” Xaviers paw slips under my chin but I quickly pull away.  
“I just-“ my paws began to shake ever so slightly “I don’t… I don’t appreciate others looking down on half breeds... you can view me however you want for saying that but-“  
“I don’t see you any differently, Elliot. In fact, I agree with you entirely.”  
I guess he didn’t expect my shock, because when I looked up at him bewildered, he sort of looked taken aback. “what? You assumed I didn’t like them, just because I accidentally called you one? Well, even though I thought you were one, I’ve never treated you like shit- crap, have I?” 

Well, he had a point… hell, on his first day he was late to work because he stopped and helped me.  
“I-I-“ I sighed defeatedly “yes, you’re right… I’m sorry for assuming…”  
“Hey, it's okay. It’s almost a social norm to hate halfs… I don't blame you for assuming one bit. It’s a little strange almost, meeting someone that holds the same opinion on the matter as I. Am I allowed to ask… why..?”  
I gulp nervously but nod “walk and talk..? It’s late and I’m still kind of cold…”  
“Of course” Xavier beams that signature sexy grin and we both step outside the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, beautiful, Glorious world building. I’m honestly a little scared this is where I’m going to lose a lot of readers, but once again, I promise everything will come back around full circle, including the information I have left about the “Mutt”phobia in this universe.


	4. Chapter 4

Xavier begins to walk down to the sidewalk and I follow right beside him. We stop when we get down to the sidewalk though.  
“We’re gonna wait on a taxi, okay?”  
I simply nod and stand beside him. It’s uncomfortably quiet.  
“So… why aren’t you like everyone else, hmm? You could just go along with the crowd, but you choose not to. Am I allowed to ask..?”  
“I don’t see why not. Just… don’t go around telling everyone..?”  
“I’d never do that to you, Eli. My point here isn’t to expose you, I just… I want to know more about you. And I felt as though it was interesting that we held the same opinions. If you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, I understand. We don’t know each other well…. yet.”  
Was he implying that he wanted to get to know me more?? But why? Why me, why someone like me?

Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell him…

“One of my best friends growing up was a… a mix, a cross between a Golden retriever and a poodle. She was so sweet and nice to everyone she met, even though everyone else treated her like shit… I saw firsthand how society treated her, even though she treated them with kindness and respect… hell even my parents tried to keep me away from her. I just… I’ve vowed never to treat anyone like that, regardless of background. She couldn’t control what blood and DNA ran through her veins and it’s not fair or… or right that someone would look at another person poorly because of factors they can’t control.” 

Xavier looks as though he wants to say something, but he isn’t talking. He takes a deep breath and when he exhales, he finally speaks.  
“...You’re talking about her in the past tense….” He practically sighs out, as though He’s been building up the courage to say it. 

(TW!! Mention of suicide!!)

I suddenly understand why he took so long to say it and honestly, I don’t blame him. The answer I have to give him Isn’t a happy one… With a sigh, I reluctantly tell him. “she committed suicide after being denied into college… not for her grades or exam results… but for her Mixed genes…”  
“Oh… oh my god, Elliot, I’m so sorry-“ 

(End of TW!) 

“It’s fine, it’s whatever, it was years ago.” I glance up and notice the cab that’s slowing down for us “we have a ride to catch….” I mumble out.  
“Right…” Xavier weakly smiles. He opens the door and lets me climb in first, then clambers in behind me. He gives his address to the driver and the car soon takes off. 

The ride back to his place isn’t anything special. We don’t say anything at all. I guess he was too nervous to talk after what I told him and I didn’t have a way to strike up a conversation.  
Now that I think about it, I don’t remember much of the car ride, or the rest of the night, really. I know I fell asleep against the window...  
I vaguely remember him trying to wake me up, and I remember the driver getting pissy with Xavier but… then…  
Then I'm awake at his house, in a bedroom. The birds are chirping outside and there's a nice aroma in the place. 

I look around in confusion for a moment before the door opens and Xavier walks in. “oh, you’re up- well, good morning-“  
“MORNING?!”  
Xavier seems to find it funny. He laughs at me. With that beautiful happy laugh of his. Asshole. Playing with my feelings like that. 

“Yea, I was just coming in here to try to wake you up. I just finished making breakfast.”  
He made breakfast? Well- obviously, Elliot, he just said he did. But… breakfast? Not something from the local cart?  
Xavier watches me for a moment. He probably expects an answer, but when I don’t give him one, he begins to talk again.  
“Your work clothes are hanging up. I washed them for you last night. I’m gonna give you a tie to borrow so no one realizes you’re wearing the same suit.” Xavier beamed his infamous smile and left the room.  
A quick glance down and- 

WHAT THE FUCK, HE STRIPPED ME?! WHERE DID THESE NEW CLOTHES COME FROM?! WHY DO THEY FIT SO PERFECTLY?!

Oh shit, but that means he saw-  
No… no, he would’ve brought it up, right? He would’ve said something about that ugly, Jarring nasty thing, I mean, it’s not hard to ignore or look over when you’re naked!! 

Maybe he didn’t take off my boxers??  
I check really quickly and sure enough, he hadn’t. That would explain a bit, but he still would’ve seen part of it. I’m sure he has questions about it. Maybe it’s because we don’t know each other too well? Doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable? I don’t know… 

I take a deep breath and step out of the room, sliding the Shoji door to the side. The sight that I’m met with is breathtaking! 

A full course meal for breakfast?! How did he afford that?! I can’t control myself, I shoot forward, tail wagging a mile a minute, practically drooling already “oh my god, you made all of this?! I hope it tastes as good as it smells!!”  
Xavier smiles and laughs at me, then invites me to join. I quickly sit down at the table on the floor and thank him for the meal.  
“Itadakimasu!! Thank you!!”  
“It’s nothing, really. I make food like this all the time.” Xavier chuckles and blows it off like it’s nothing. He begins to make a bowl, adding in the things around the table before handing it to me. He repeats the process and makes himself a bowl too.  
“How on earth do you afford to make meals like this?! Are you getting paid that much more than me-?” I quickly pause as I realize what I’ve said. I’ve got to fix this. “S-Sorry, that’s none of my business… thank you for the food…” you idiot! You can’t ask people questions like that!!

“It’s fine, Elliot.” Xavier smiles. My question doesn’t seem to have upset him, thank god. “Well, my dad is actually the Chief so I-“  
“What-“ my eyes widen in shock and disbelief. I set my bowl down on the table so I don’t drop it. 

Now Xaviers the one who looks panicked. I guess he thought I would take the information easily? I’m not sure.  
“Y-You can’t tell anyone, I don’t want them to think differently of me because-“ He’s flailing his hands about in a panic.  
“Because your dad literally runs the company?!” I accidentally cut him off “Oh my god, I’m working for your father…”  
Xavier huffs in annoyance, his mood quickly changing to a much “Yea, I’m working for my father, how do you think I feel?” 

Oh… right… wait, he doesn’t want to? I thought he liked his job??  
“You don’t.. want to work for the company..?” I question rather nervously; I don’t want to make him angry but I’m curious to know. 

Xavier lets out a sigh “no… not really, I mean- the job isn’t hard but… just the responsibility that looms over me. Knowing I’m to take over when he retires or dies, it just… doesn’t sit well with me. And dear god, If I do anything besides my job! Heaven forbid I slip off to piss!” He groans and begins an impression of the chief “‘now Xavier, I know you can do better than this. What am I going to do with you when you take over the company? Are you going to slack off then as well? You know the company can’t afford-‘ blah blah blah!!” He huffs before beginning to shovel his food. 

I only sit there and watch him for a moment. It’s clear that he's pissed. The guilt is building up inside me and I can’t help but apologize.  
“I’m sorry… for bringing it up. It won’t happen again.” I lower my head in shame. 

Xavier sets his bowl and chopsticks down, which causes me to look up. He then leans over the table slightly, His expression is soft, maybe with a hint of guilt even. “Hey, It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I got so mad over it… it’s just- it’s been pent up inside for so long. I’ve never told anyone about my father… I don’t really understand why it’s easy to go to you about things but… I just feel like you’d understand where I’m coming from, I guess..? Again, I’m sorry…” 

“Ah, yea… o-of course… I guess I feel the same…”  
Or he just caught me off guard yesterday and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings just now. Was he telling the truth? Am I really easy to go to or is he just saying it to make me feel better?  
“A-and it’s no problem… that you talked with me about it… so uh- don’t worry about it.” Again, I lower my head, but it’s because I’m nervous. 

There’s a rather awkward pause. Xavier seems to study me for a moment before he starts talking again. “Well…” he pauses again to sigh. “since you know a little more about me, and I know a little more about you, why don’t we be friends?” 

I look up at him in shock and disbelief. He wants to be friends... with me?? 

“What?? Is that surprising to you..?” Xavier doesn’t seem to understand how big this is for me. My only other friend is Anthony and… well, he makes me really uncomfortable. 

“Well- Yes, it is surprising.” I slowly look down at my feet, my ears pinning back against my head in embarrassment. “No one ever asks me to be their friend. It’s… it’s a big deal to me…” 

It’s deafeningly quiet, so quiet that I look up to figure out what’s wrong. Xavier again is just studying my face, and it takes him another moment before he speaks up again. “well, I would like to be your friend, if that’s okay with y-“  
“I-I’d love to be friends!!” I blurt out before I cover my mouth. Oh god, please don’t be mad-  
But Xavier only chuckles and smiles that infamous grin of his. 

“I’d love to be your friend too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we’re getting in some character building. I promise there is going to be fluff, Just bear with me!! We gotta get through the rough to get to the good!!
> 
> Once again, I’ll also say, everything will come full circle. We will learn what He’s vaguely referencing later, I promise, just hang in there. Can you tell I really like foreshadowing and hinting at future events? I might put up a ‘foreshadow’ counter later on, just to keep you guys on your toes and really make you pay attention to the fine details ;)


	5. Chapter 5

“We should probably start eating. Our shift starts soon.”   
“Oh… r-right.” I mumble before I pick up the bowl Xavier has made for me. I look it over for a moment, sniff at it, then pick up my chopsticks and take a bite.   
“Holy shi- I-I mean-“ I quickly swallow my bite of food. “This is amazing!!” 

Xavier chuckles and glances away from me, a small smile creeping onto his face “Thank you…”   
“Thank me?” I let out a small giggle. “No no, Thank you!! This is the best food I’ve had in a really long time!! You could open up a restaurant!” 

I can’t help myself; I begin to eat the food quickly, shoving bite after bite into my mouth until-  
Oh no, not again!! 

My tail begins to wag quickly. I hurriedly set my bowl down and whip around, then try to hold my tail still, but it just keeps swaying back and forth. I don’t want to knock anything over or break anything with it, but it just won’t. Stop. Wagging. 

“Hey it’s okay.” Xavier speaks up, soon catching my attention once again. “No point in trying to control your body, it’s going to do what it wants to do.”   
“B-But I don’t want to break-“ I cut myself off.

Xavier stands up and soon begins to move the shelf behind me. I stand up to help him, but he shakes his head “it’s okay, I’ve got it.”   
“you don’t have to move it! I-I’m fine, really!!” I feel guilty that He’s going through all this trouble for me.   
Xavier Doesn't seem to mind though. He simply shrugs his shoulders. “But then I’d have to move it again when you come back over. It’s smarter to move it once and never worry about it again.” 

When?! Back over?!?! He’s actually anticipating that I’ll be back, eating at his apartment again?!

Xavier turns his back to me but doesn't move. It seems like He’s deciding where to put the shelf. a moment later, He’s sliding the bookshelf across the floor over to a corner next to the couch. He leaves it there, possibly to rearrange things better once he gets out of work. 

I stand there and simply watch him shuffle back over to his seat on the floor and flop down. I slowly follow suit and sit back down myself, but then I apologize, soley out of habit. I feel guilty for making him do all that work this early in the morning. 

“M… M’ sorry”   
“Sorry for what?” He looks confused.   
“For… making you do-“  
“You didn’t make me do anything.” He flashes a small smile ”I chose to move the shelf.” 

I simply look down at my lap. I don’t know what to say to that.   
“Shit….” I hear Xavier mumble, which causes me to look up at him. “We need to eat and get ready for work really soon.” 

I nod at him and begin to finish up my food. Xavier starts to scarf his all down as though he has no time to eat it normally. 

“Dang, what time is it, you’re eating like you-“ I glance down at the time on my phone and almost spit out what I have in my mouth. “XAVIER, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, OHMYGOD-“   
Now I’m scarfing my food down too, no way in hell am I going to be late for work. 

We both finish up our food rather quickly and Xavier walks off somewhere to get my clothes. He told me earlier that he washed them for me, so I just sort of stand around awkwardly and wait for him to return. 

“Here” he walks back and hands me a nicely folded stack of clothes.   
“Th-Thank you.”  
“Not a problem.” He smiles. “Knock on my door when you finish getting dressed and I’ll get you a new tie, okay?” 

I nod and soon walk off to the bathroom to change. What I don’t anticipate is what I’m met with. 

I… I don’t know how long Ive been staring at myself, but I do remember the door opening and Xavier pulling my head away from the mirror to look at me.

“Elliot, what’s wrong? What happened?”   
“I… I’m okay-“ I manage to croak out before I’m interrupted by a distraught Xavier. He’s freaking out and he seems a little confused even.  
“No! no you’re not, You’re crying! Your body is shaking like crazy!! You were mumbling incoherently and whining and just… staring…”   
“Oh…” I reach up and touch my cheeks, and sure enough, they’re wet with tears. 

Xavier walks me out of the bathroom and sits me down on the couch. He sets his bag down beside me and walks off, Returning a moment later with a box of tissues. He sits down and grabs my paws, “What happened in there?” 

I don’t know how to tell him and I’m not sure if I’m even ready to. Hell I can barely look up at him right now, I’m so embarrassed.   
I glance down at my phone and flip out. There’s no way I’m making it to work on time.  
“Xavier, you need to go now, o-or you’ll be late!”

“I’m not leaving here without you.” 

What..? Why??  
“But why? I-I’ll be fine, you need to go!”   
Xavier turns to face me more directly. “I’m not leaving here without you… I want to make sure you’re okay.”   
“Yes, I’m fine!!” I huff out.   
“Then What happened?” He lets go of my paws and crosses his arms.

I freeze up in fear. I don’t know what to do… I don’t know what to say… my breathing is suddenly constricted and I can’t move. 

Xavier sighs and stands up, then takes my paws once more and helps me to my feet. “Come on, let's go get you dressed.” He pauses and simply stares at me in confusion when he realizes I’m not moving. “Elliot, is… is something wrong?” 

“I-I’m Sorry…” I mumble out. It’s all I can think to say. I know he wants to help me but I’m just not ready to tell him about… all of that just yet. And even so, if I did spill the beans and bore him to death with my problems, it’s not like he would be able to help me magically fix everything. 

“Sorry about what?” Xavier's concern seems genuine, but he also seems extremely confused.   
I can’t help but glance down at my hands.

‘You’re pathetic’   
‘Ugly bastard’   
‘Useless Dog’ 

I feel my ears pin back against my head and I can’t help but cover them with my paws. I wish these bad thoughts would just go away and leave me alone, but they always. come. back.

“Hey.” I feel a paw rest on my shoulder and I look up at Xavier, slightly intrigued but mostly confused by his actions.   
“You know,” he begins, “if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here okay? No matter what it’s about, I’ll keep an open mind and do my best to help. That’s what friends do, right?” Xavier flashes his blinding grin. Even though he stumbled across me crying in the bathroom, even though I made him late for work, even though I refused to tell him what was going on, he still managed to keep a happy face. Of course he did, he was mr. perfect at everything. 

I simply nod at his words, then shuffle over to the bathroom door to change. I stop in front of the door though, I can’t bring myself to open it again.

“H-Here-!” Xavier rushes over to my side “ you can change in my room.”   
I slowly nod and creak the door open just enough to grab my work clothes, then I walk to Xavier's room and shut the door to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elliot is rather hurt, as you can see. He’s been through a lot. :(  
> I want this story to be about his healing. I want him to find his happiness and learn to trust other people, to open up and include people into his life, to let go of his past and finally gain some self worth. Unfortunately, that means I have to show some of Elliot’s nastier sides, like his anxiety and non-existent self esteem. I hope you guys will stick through this with me until the end, please just hang in there!! 
> 
> Also,   
> Official ‘foreshadow’ count: 9


	6. Chapter 6

I’m standing next to Xavier when the Taxi pulls up. He opens the door for me and I clamber inside, sit down, and buckle up. Once He’s in and the door is shut, the man driving asks where we're headed. 

It’s not a long drive over to the work building but it sure is a quiet one. I still feel guilty for what happened in Xaviers bathroom, but I don’t know what to tell him. I’ve apologized to him at least a million times already today, it’s probably the last thing he wants to hear right now. 

Regardless, he still turns to me and tries to make small talk. “So, Evan thinks he’s taking home the title of best engineering and design idea this year, but what he doesn’t know is that I’m almost finished with my idea, and I’m sure it’ll make the judges think twice about accepting his.” 

That’s right, the marketing and engineering ideas project started last week. 

“Oh… I-I’m sure you’ll win again this year…” I nonchalantly add.  
“...What do you mean?” Xavier sounds confused, so I look up at him.   
“Yea, you won last year, right?” At least that’s what I remembered.   
“No no, that went to Brigette…” his smile slowly fades. “They took one glance at my idea and laughed in my face…” 

I can see the pain in his eyes and I know I have to do something about it.  
“I-I’m sure you’ll win this year!! I-I’ll be rooting for you!” I try to put on a happy and confident smile, but something inside tells me it’s not convincing. I mean what I say, but after this morning, I’m just not in the best of moods. 

Xavier pauses for a moment before a smile tugs at his lips. “And what about you? You entering in anything?”  
“Huh? O-Oh no, not me. Besides, I’m not on the marketing team, or a branch manager, I-I can’t. I’m just a silly account-“ 

Xavier cuts me off before I can even finish “I’m sure you could come up with an idea so grand, the chief would have no choice but to adopt it.”

“I-I don't know about all that...” I can feel my face heating up with a bright blush but the words themselves don’t make me feel anymore confident. I was, and never will be great at taking compliments from others. Just another… feature of mine… 

“I’m certain of it.” Xavier flashes that bright, beautiful smile of his and I can’t help but fall for him just a little more, even despite my mood. 

“I’ll… I’ll think about it, okay?” I seriously don’t believe I have, or could think of anything that would even get close to being accepted into the contest, but I don’t want to upset Xavier either. I can tell he’s still upset, but he puts on a fake smile for me anyway.

Again, the car ride falls silent and it remains that way until the driver pulls up to the sidewalk and lets the both of us out. Xavier pays him and we begin our walk up to the building.

I can’t help but glance up at him, his smaller features popping out, like the circles in his fur that seem to only reveal themselves in the sunlight. 

“So that makes you a Jaguar then…” I can’t help but mumble under my breath.   
“Huh?” I watch him turn to look at me.

Oh. guess Xavier must’ve overheard me.

“You must be a Jaguar then…” I speak a little more loudly. “Y-You know… since the Chief is your father…” I pause for a moment to ponder. “huh. now that I think about it, the resemblances are starting to show.” I can’t help but giggle. Why hadn’t I noticed this stuff earlier? 

“ ‘But Panthers are their own species!’ “ Xavier mocks and I can’t help but laugh.  
“Y-Yea, what's melanin?” I weakly tease, not really knowing how well Xavier will take the joke, but I must’ve scored, because he soon breaks into a small fit of laughter. 

He chuckles for a moment more before he settles down a bit and a small sigh slips out. We both reach the doors but he pauses for a moment and simply turns to me, a big smile on his face. “I’m… I'm honestly surprised that you know about that. I feel… touched, almost.” 

Touched…  
Did he mean that? I can feel my ears starting to burn with blush but I try to shrug the whole thing off, “oh it’s uh… it’s nothing-“ 

“Elliot…” Xavier cuts me off and places his paws on my shoulders. He's smiling brighter than I’ve ever seen before and it’s almost hard to look at. “it means the world to me.” 

The… The world??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ZA WORRLLLDOOOO!! sorry.   
> Ahhh but we Finally get a cute little moment with the two of them!!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I’m so excited to finally post this!! I’ve been really nervous about it, since this story means a lot to me, but hey, I don’t know if others will like it if I don’t post it!
> 
> This isnt going to be a happy, fluffy novel the Whole way through, But I promise there will be some happy, fluffy moments in the novel (because let’s face it, I’m a sucker for cute stuff.) I must warn, There will be sad scenes, and there will be times where you’ll want to yank your hair out and scream at poor little Elliot, but I also promise things will get better as the Novel goes on. Also, I should mention, Elliot and Xavier are my OCs and more will be revealed about them later.
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! it means a lot to me that you were even remotely interested in what I had to share and any feedback is more than welcome, though pure hate will be removed from the comments.


End file.
